Cycletorque Overflow Tour

Welcome to the Cycle Torque 8 Day Premium Tour. On this motorbike adventure we’ll follow a meandering course which will take us from historic coastal towns into densely jungled mountains, then down through remote river valleys and into the agricultural bosom of Vietnam, before gliding down to the best beach destination in the country. We’ll experience two very different sides of Vietnam: the bustling, frenetic, commerce-driven towns, which are changing at a dizzying pace; and the quiet, slow, peaceful highlands, where farmers and families turn the earth and harvest the crops as they have done for hundreds of years. Small back-roads, new mountains passes and the famous Ho Chi Minh Road pave our way through Central Vietnam. This is superb riding country and most of the time we’ll be far from the beaten track. Friendly farmers will share their stories with us as we stop by the roadside for a chat, a cup of tea and a glass or two of the local liquor. If you’re looking for the ‘authentic’ Vietnam, this is it! The tour itinerary below gives you a flavour of what you’ll experience on this incredible ride. For more information regarding tour inclusions and price see the additional details listed at the end of this itinerary outline. TOUR PRCE: $2,320.00 USD

TOUR ITINERARY OUTLINE: DAY 1: Ho Chi Minh City to Danang (by air): We catch a morning flight that takes us up the coast to Danang. Formerly a run-down city and site of a large US air base from the ‘American War’, Danang is now one of Vietnam’s trendiest cities. With wide, traffic-free streets, a river, and a great stretch of beach, Danang’s star is on the rise. After a riders’ briefing we’ll ride the breezy coastal road from Danang to the ancient port town of Hoi An. This 30km beach is famous for having Vietnam’s best surf: US military personnel surfed here on R&R during the war and named it China Beach. Nowadays, the sands are lined with brand new luxury mega-resorts, catering to global high-rollers. Hoi An is a beautiful little town of fading homes and shops dating from its time as a busy trading post in centuries past. Known for its quaint cafes, tasty local cuisine, and silk tailors, we’ll have time to take it all in and even get a suit made – just like the boys from Top Gear did. At night Hoi An’s streets and waterways are illuminated by lanterns. This is one of the most charming sights it Vietnam and a great way to start our 8 day adventure. OVERNIGHT: Hoi An

DAY 2:Hoi An to A Luoi: 180km Our first full day on the road is a terrific ride from the coastal plains to some of the wildest, least disturbed forests and mountains in Vietnam. From Hoi An’s old town we make our way across seas of shimmering rice paddies, where farmers work the fields with wooden machinery, and buffalo bathe in pools of mud. Riding further west, we begin to climb the foothills of the Annamite Mountains. As we get deeper into highland territory, farmland gives way to jungle, and villages consist of wooden huts with thatched roofs. When we join the Ho Chi Minh Road and head north, we enter a part of Vietnam that very few foreigners (or even Vietnamese) ever get to see. This road was once part of the famous military supply route between North and South Vietnam, during the ‘American War’. Back then it wasn’t much more than a dirt path through the jungle, but today it’s a winding ribbon of tarmac, leading through sublime scenery. The 100km ride from Prao to our night stop at A Luoi is a motorbiker’s dream: hairpin bends and switchbacks lead up and down thickly forested mountains and valleys. And best of all, there’s hardly any other traffic on the road to spoil the fun. This area is so remote that animals previously unknown to science have been discovered here, such as the saola, also called the Asian Unicorn. OVERNIGHT: A Luoi

DAY 3:A Luoi to Kham Duc: 160km Back on the Ho Chi Minh Road we head south from A Luoi. Following the remote border with Laos, we pass by isolated army outposts, hill-tribe villages that have only recently had electricity, and towering waterfalls that crash into deep ravines and join raging rivers. The road is in excellent condition and this is relaxing riding through awesome countryside. Although it appears that few people live in the mountains here, there’s always human activity somewhere nearby: a lone fisherman perched on a boulder surrounded by roaring currents; a bare-chested ethnic minority man chopping bamboo is the jungle; children herding cattle down the mountainside. Gold was recently discovered in these mountains, and the small mountain town of Kham Duc has seen a mini boom thanks to a Canadian gold mine nearby. We’ll spend the night in this likeable, quiet little place, in the shadow of high peaks. OVERNIGHT: Kham Duc

DAY 4:Kham Duc to Kon Tum: 140km Today’s ride along the Ho Chi Minh Road reveals some of the scars of war that Vietnam’s countryside bears as a result of the long conflicts of the 20th century. Mountains are no longer cloaked in forest: in some cases the amount of defoliants dropped here during the ‘American War’ have left the earth permanently poisoned; in other cases the mountainsides are simply covered in crops, such as cassava, tea, coffee, and rubber plantations. Riding through this landscape is both thrilling and thought-provoking: on the one hand we gaze at the beautiful countryside and the friendly people who inhabit it; but on the other hand we can still see the effects of war and the legacy that conflict has left in this wonderful nation. Twisting passes take us up and down mountains, like an elaborate motorbiking rollercoaster. Before reaching our night stop at Kon Tum, we’ll pass Dak To, where a gruesome battle took place in 1967. To the west of the road you can still see an old US air strip, almost completely overgrown with foliage. Kon Tum is a quiet highlands town with a relaxed atmosphere, where will eat well and get a good night’s rest. OVERNIGHT: Kon Tum

DAY 5:Kon Tum to Buon Ma Thuot: 220km Kon Tum’s sleepy streets boast some interesting architecture, thanks to French missionaries who set up in the area during the 19th century. We’ll take a wander around the church and seminary, both of which are housed in French buildings that look very conspicuous here in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. Back in the saddle the Ho Chi Minh Road ploughs straight and true along an enormous plateau that extends all the way to the Lao and Cambodian borders. Desolate and stark, the scenery may not be as spectacular as on previous days, but there is something liberating about riding through this big, empty, flat country. Gradually the twists and turns return and we make our way through pine-forested hills, past rubber plantations, and down to yet another vast plateau. This is Dak Lak Province, the heart of Vietnam’s thriving coffee industry. Regimented rows of squat coffee bushes stretch to the horizon: it’s little wonder that Vietnam is now the world’s second largest producer and exporter of coffee. We’ll be sampling the Vietnamese cuppa on many occasions as we make our way to the bustling city of Buon Ma Thuot. The wide streets and commercial buzz here may come as a surprise after spending the last few days in the sparsely populated mountains on the Ho Chi Minh Road. But all Vietnamese cities, no matter how chaotic they seem, have a way of seducing you: whether it’s the great food or the hospitable locals, you’ll find yourself falling for these highland towns. OVERNIGHT: Buon Ma Thuot

DAY 6:Buon Ma Thuot to Lake Lak: 110km We leave the busy streets of Buon Ma Thuot behind and head back out on the road-less-travelled. For the first time since our first day on the road, we will not be travelling on the epic Ho Chi Minh Road. But don’t worry, there’s still plenty more sublime stretches of tarmac ahead of us. Winding through a rocky but cultivated landscape, an old back-road leads to Lake Lak, a timeless sight in the heart of the Central Highlands. This natural body of water sits in a fertile valley of luminous rice fields surrounded by forested peaks. A wild area deep in the mountains and jungle, Lake Lak was once famed as a rich hunting ground; even Vietnam’s last emperor built himself a hunting lodge here. Well off the beaten path, there’s a thrilling sense of isolation around this lake. Locals are not used to seeing foreign travelers and a crowd will often gather each time we stop for gas or pull over to take a photo. We stay at comfortable little resort overlooking the peaceful lake, where a beer at sunset caps off a great day on the road. OVERNIGHT: Lake Lak

DAY 7:Lake Lak to Dalat: 155km The lake looks its best in the mornings: a flat, placid body of water; like a mirror to the sky. We’ll have the privilege of visiting a local minority village. Ethnic minorities in this area live in long wooden houses built on stilts, originally intended to keep the occupants off the ground from wild animals, such as tigers and bears. Vietnam has over 50 hill-tribes, many of whom still live a semi-nomadic life. Despite the obvious hardships they face, people are exceptionally friendly and open to foreigners – it gives us all pause for thought and puts our ‘modern’ lives back home into perspective. There’s an optional one hour elephant trek around (and even in) the lake before we hit the road again. Elephants were once important work animals in this part of Vietnam. But now, sadly, their numbers have dwindled as a result of poaching, and there are hardly any left in the wild. You may find it difficult to leave Lake Lak, but we have yet another glorious ride ahead of us, as we take a scenic route to our night stop in Dalat. Weaving through dense, twisted jungles, across rivers, and past rustic hamlets full of chickens, dogs, pigs, oxen and children playing in the dusty yards, we tackle the potholes of this poorly maintained route. However, our Lifan motorcycles make short work of the bumps, and we’ll arrive in Dalat’s cool, mountain air with plenty of time to enjoy its significant charms. A former French colonial hill station, Dalat still retains a European atmosphere. French villas dot the pine-forested hills, and bakeries line the steep streets. Vietnam’s ‘capital of romance’ provides a great backdrop for our last night on the road. OVERNIGHT: Dalat

DAY 8:Dalat to Nha Trang: 160km Our final day of riding is one of the most spectacular. After saying goodbye to the French charm of Dalat, we’ll pass under the forested slopes of Lang Bian Mountain, the highest peak in the area, at close to 8,000ft. But it’s the descent from the highlands to the coastal plains that steals the show today. A lofty 40km mountain pass takes us from 1,600ft back down to sea level. Waterfalls burst from the mountainsides, pouring down cliffs, flowing under the road, and plunging deep into the valley below. Wide, gaping vistas afford views all the way to the South China Sea. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to stop and admire the views from this epic pass. Once we roll down to the bottom the temperatures rise and we’ll taste the salty sea-air in our mouths. The golden sands of Nha Trang await us. Vietnam’s premier beach town, Nha Trang lies along a sweeping bay, dotted with tropical islands. Famous for its seafood, we’ll tuck into the day’s catch, grab a swim in the warm waters, and retire with a cocktail in hand to watch the sunset, and reflect on our wonderful Vietnam adventure. Here we say our fond farewells to bikes, crew and tour companions, and head our separate ways.

TOUR PRICE & INCLUSIONS:Date: Feb 14th-21th, 2015Special Events Tour: Cycle Torque Overflow: 8 Day Premium Tour Tour Code: 8DPT-15 Tour price: $2,320.00 USD To book this tour: email us at info@vietnammotorbiketours.com or call our bookings line on +61 3 5975 6333 Our tours are perfect for riders who want to discover amazing riding routes away from mainstream tourism, and meet like-minded riders in the process. We travel at a relaxed pace with plenty of time for random stops by the road in order to take everything in and for you to get the most out of this unique experience. We recommend you arrive at least one day before the tour begins. Our special event tour prices cover all accommodation costs (including pre-tour nights) in comfortable twin-share rooms in quality mid-range hotels or guesthouses with private bathrooms. All meals (breakfast, lunch) are included, as well as an esky filled with cold drinks, fruit and snacks when on the road. Our meals are set menus (including options for vegetarians) that showcase the very best of Vietnamese cuisine, which is justly famous as one of the most sophisticated in the world. All our tours include a support van and driver, guides and a support crew. Our guides and crew have excellent English skills and are passionate about Vietnam and motorbiking. We provide each rider with a detailed touring map of Vietnam, so you can follow the route while on the road, and retrace your adventure when back home. Also included is your very own Vietnam Motorbike Tours T-shirt. See below for a full list of tour inclusions and exclusions. Prices includes:• Airport pick up and transfers. Private VIP car/mini van• Domestic flights transfers on Vietnam Airlines. Flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang and returning to HCMC or Hanoi from tour destination.• 1 night pre tour accommodation. at our selected hotel .• Pre Tour rider briefing. evening before the tour start 6pm . meet the team of tour group . discuss the incredible ride and things to know .• Full motorcycle rental from our fleet of 25 Lifan motorcycle for the duration of the tour. • Motorcycle damage cover and limited 3rd party insurance .• Entrance tickets and permits.• Helmets – clean open-face with drop down screens "limited sizes" riders with xxxl or xxxsmall should consider to bring their own helmet – wet weather gear. • Quality mid-range, clean and friendly accommodation many would rank 4 star back home."Aust" All with WIFI, private bathrooms and air-con.• Twin-share basis: (single room supplement is an additional $45.00 per night). Limited single rooms in remote areas so let us know early.• Meals . Breakfast & Lunch. endless supply of bottled water and soft drinks, snacks & fresh fruits through-out the tour . Dinners not included. We find our riders prefer to arrange and select their own evening meals. allow around $10-$15.00 each for your evening meals. Vietnam is famous for great foods . restaurants are close to our overnight stays .• 24hr back to base support. Medicines and first-aid kit . all guides carry working mobile phones .• All fuel costs, VMT Motorcycle service & maintenance throughout the tour .• 9-seater minibus support vehicle and driver for luggage transport and assistance. • VMT motorcycle guides and support crew. VMT crew are highly experienced dedicated team. our much loved team are just one of the many highlights while touring Vietnam • Detailed touring map of Vietnam. Vietnam Motorbike T-shirt. VMT will select at least one night of "DRINKS ON US" • Pillion and passenger prices are 50% of the standard rate.

PRICE EXCLUDES. • Airfares to and from Vietnam (HCMC) approximately $1,400.00 USD. • Travel Insurance policy covering the use of a motorbike (mandatory). • Personal expenses, such as shopping, souvenirs, laundry, all extra drinks. • Tips for staff at tour completion. Vietnam Motorbike Tour guides are well-paid so tips are optional but always appreciated. Aim for between $30.00-$48.00 USD. • Medical examination and vaccinations before departure. • Tourist Visa. Your local travel agent can arrange visas for you or you can book online. You must make visa arrangements before entering Vietnam.

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